Chapter Ten: Attack of the Sarudon

Link slowly opened his eyes as the first rays of the sun's morning light came pouring in to his cell. He and Chiron had been trapped in the gerudo towers for two days over a month. Link was beginning to lose all hope, he had already lost a whole month and he had not even found his way out of the desert. Link was not aware of the blockade that had been set up by the Tyfirian navy, Ormek's coup d'état which had given him complete control of the country, or the first Tyfirian troops mobilizing in the north, but he could sense that things were not going well. Each day that Link remained in captivity, his hope diminished a little more. Nonetheless he would not give into despair just yet. He had to stay strong, at least until he could find a way to escape.

Link wearily turned his head to the right, there he saw Chiron who was being kept in the cell right next to his. Tears were streaming down his cheek and his head hung down sickly. The captivity had been especially hard on Chiron, for he was very worried about his family and he longed to return home. He had almost forgotten the quest he had vowed to help Link complete.

Link could not bear to talk to Chiron in his current state. He felt guilty for putting him in such a situation. Thus, the longer they were incarcerated in the gerudo prison; the more silent the two became.

Link and Chiron were simply sitting on the floors of their cells when they heard the loud, yet feminine voice of a gerudo. "Chiron! Chiron is that you?" the gerudo said. Chiron jerked his head up and he smiled for the first time in over a month.

This particular gerudo was not dressed like the others that were around the towers; she wore a cloak made of silk and was dressed in dark orange as opposed to the standard white of the gerudo that lived near the Cyntir-Tyfirian border. She also wore her hair longer than the other gerudo and carried with her two short scimitars, which were both attached a belt that she wore about her waist.

"Vialla, what are you doing here?" Chiron asked the gerudo ecstatically.

"That was the question I was going to ask of you," Vialla said.

"I'm mainly here because of this guy," Chiron said in a half-joking manner as he turned his head to look at Link.

"And who might you be, young traveler?" Vialla asked of Link.

"I am Link, I am an employment scout for a band of Calrigan mercenaries," Link said with no hint of emotion in his voice.

Vialla briskly looked at her surroundings and then turned her gaze back to Link, "Strange place for an employment scout," she said, "especially considering the gerudo of Bylar would never accept help from men. Why are you interested in them anyway?"

"I am not even supposed to be in this country," Link explained, "I was on my way to Nicrosia when my ship was sacked by Tyfirians. I would tell you how the two of us got here now, but it is a rather lengthy tale."

Vialla shook her head and said, "Those Tyfirians have to ruin everything!" she paused for a second and then gasped. "I'm sorry, I didn't properly introduce myself. I am Vialla of the gerudo tribe. But don't think me like my sisters. I have given up the thieving way of the traditional gerudo. I do not believe that stealing from others is any way to make a living."

"Vialla," Chiron interjected, for he had already heard Vialla explain how she was different than the other gerudo many times before. "Do you think you could speak with the head gerudo here and see if you can get us released?"

"Oh, yes, of course. I'd imagine you are very anxious to get out of here," said Vialla. She then smiled at Chiron and hurried out of the room.

"If she fails to get us out," Link thought to himself, "I fear General Ormek will succeed in his accomplishing his designs. It may already be too late as it is. Vain was Kaepora's trust in me."

"Don't worry Link, Vialla will get us out of here. She has a way with people," Chiron said trying to cheer up his companion, he could sense Link was feeling low.

Link and Chiron both anxiously awaited the return of Vialla, but the longer they waited the slower time seemed to pass. Vialla did not come back until after dark, but her arrival was well worth the wait. She had been successful in her attempt to secure the young prisoners' freedom. She returned with two keys and the equipment they had with them when they were captured. She unlocked both of the cells and helped Chiron and Link out. They stretched for what seemed to them was the first time in an eternity.

"I can't possibly thank you enough for freeing us!" Chiron said.

Vialla laughed, "Well then I can't wait to see how you thank me when I tell you you'll being spending the night in a nice warm bed, courtesy of the gerudo thieves."

"No, we can not stay!" Link protested, "I have already wasted too much time in this blasted wasteland. I will not wait any longer!"

"Link have you forgotten about the verioks?" Chiron asked trying to calm down the mercenary. "We can't head out until the sun rises. Besides, we'll need the rest. I don't know about you, but I haven't had a good night's rest since we came to this awful place."

"All right fine," said Link, "we will wait until the break of dawn tomorrow, then I am heading out."

Vialla then led the two young men to separate rooms. Once Chiron arrived at his room he collapsed on his bed and almost immediately fell asleep. Link on the other hand had a tough time falling asleep. He could not get his mind off leaving. Eventually he did manage to find sleep, but it was only for about two hours and Link only felt worse when he awoke. Link decided to head out early so he packed up all his equipment and started to leave the towers. He would have set out on his own had he not ran into Vialla on his way out. She was eager herself, but for different reasons.

"Where are you headed off to, Link?" Vialla asked.

"I can wait here no longer. I must go now," Link snapped.

"Suit yourself," Vialla said, "I was planning to go with you and Chiron in the morning, I had even borrowed a few horses from my sisters that you two could ride, but if you simply can't wait for me to prepare them, I'll understand."

"You have horses?" Link asked excitedly. Vialla confirmed that she did and Link said, "In that case, I guess I could stand to wait a bit longer."

"So where is Chiron anyway?" Vialla inquired.

"He is still asleep," Link answered.

"You weren't going to take him with you?" asked Vialla.

"We do not share the same path," Link responded, "Furthermore, I did not have the heart to wake him. He has been going through a lot lately, I figured the least I could do is let him sleep."

"We can let him sleep a bit longer, come now Link, let's get the horses ready," Vialla said.

Vialla and Link had just finished saddling and feeding the horses when the first rays of the sun crept over the eastern horizon. Chiron found his way out to the stables a short time later. He, being a rancher, was used to waking with the dawn. As soon as Chiron arrived the three companions mounted their horses and ventured out into the desert, heading southeast.

"You owe me big time, Chiron," Vialla said as the gerudo towers began to disappear out of their range of vision.

"That reminds me," said Chiron, "how exactly did you get the gerudo to let us go?"

"All I had to do was promise them a good discount on all of my merchandise," Vialla replied, "Oh and by the way, I except to be well compensated for my sacrifice."

"What were you doing at the towers anyway?" Link asked, for he was quite confused what exactly Vialla's profession was and how she knew Chiron.

"Well you see, I'm a type of traveling merchant," Vialla answered, "My partner and I travel all over the world finding the rarest priceless treasures the world has to offer, we then wander the globe searching for someone to buy our hoard at top dollar. But I digress; I was not in the desert on business this time. Occasionally I like to return home and visit my sisters at the gerudo towers. So when my ship landed on the coast of Cyntir I decided to pay my sisters a little visit."

"You have a ship?" Link asked ecstatically.

"Well the ship actually belongs to my partner," Vialla answered.

"Where is Balris anyway?" inquired Chiron.

"Never mind that," Link interrupted, "I am in great need of a ship, If you were aid me in my quest, I am sure my legion of mercenaries would gladly compensate you for your troubles."

"Really," said Vialla, "All right, If you follow me to East Port Town, I'm sure I could help you out. Where was it you said you needed to go?"

"The Frozen Fortress," Link replied, "It is not far from East Port Town from what Chiron tells me, It should not be too much trouble for you."

Vialla gave Link an inquisitive look, "What reason do you have for going there?" she asked.

"That business is my own," Link said. Vialla did not question Link any further, though she was very suspicious of him from that time forth. "You never did tell me how you know Vialla," Link said to Chiron."

"When Vialla first decided to turn away from a life of thievery, she left the desert with nowhere to go," Chiron answered. "Eventually she found her way to our ranch. My parents took her in and gave her a place to stay until she got back on her feet. She's been a friend to the family ever since."

Link then lost interest in the conversation, but Chiron and Vialla continued to speak one with another. The three of them rode well into the day, resting only a few times and only for a short while. They did not stop until the sun began to set. Once they halted they built a small fire to keep the verioks away, using kindling they had brought from the gerudo settlement.

When the sun arose the next morning the three were off again. After traveling for about three hours the group finally came out of the desert into dry grassland. As they continued to ride the grass slowly became greener and thicker. The three companions continued to travel through the plains for two more days, only stopping to rest for a few hours during the night to eat and rest. Vialla occasionally complained about their pace, but then Link would remind her of the money she would receive if she went along with him and she would stop griping.

Early in the morning of the companions' fourth day of travel, Link noticed a group of horsemen headed towards them. They were approaching swiftly on the group's left side. Link felt uneasy about the approaching horses, as if he could sense that the horsemen were up to no good.

"We must change our course," Link said calmly. When asked why by Chiron and Vialla he yelled, "Just follow my lead." Link changed directions from southeast to southwest, so that his horse was running in the same direction as the horses in the distance. The others followed with out further question. The band did not ride much further before they saw a second group horsemen coming in from the east. Link changed his direction again, heading due south. Unfortunately at this point, Link's horse and the horses of Chiron and Vialla were beginning to fade, while the horses of their pursuers remained strong.

"No," said Link, pulling back on the reigns and bringing his horse to a stop. "We have been surrounded, but how did they know we were here?"

"Who are they and why are you trying to avoid them?" Inquired Vialla.

"Never mind," answered Link, as he feverishly studied his surroundings. "Off to his right he noticed a dirt road. The road seemed to suddenly drop off about three hundred feet from its starting point. "That way!" exclaimed Link as his horse began running for the road.

To the right side of the road there was an old sign which read:

DANGER! NOW ENTERING SARUDON CANYON!

BEWARE OF AVALANCHES AND SARUDONS!

"We can't go that way," pleaded Vialla, "We'll be trapped!"

"Trust me Vialla, I know what I'm doing," said Link. He darted into the canyon, but Vialla did not budge.

"Trust you?" Vialla objected, "I barely know you,"

"Just do what he says," cried Chiron as he raced into the canyon after Link. Vialla stared down into the canyon anxiously for a moment before she reluctantly followed after her friend. She did not know who was chasing her, but she did not want to be the only one to get captured.

As the three companions rode further down the path the walls of the canyon slowly rose until they were two hundred feet high. The walls were incredibly steep rising almost directly up making it impossible to climb out of the side of the canyon unless aided by someone standing on the top of the canyon wall. Had it not been for the many caves at the base of the canyon, its walls would have almost been completely flawless. Luckily for the three fugitives though, there were indeed many caves, each one digging deeper into the base of the canyon than the last.

"In here!" Chiron called out pointing to a random cave that was quite far from the canyon entrance.

"I suppose that one is as good as any of the others," said Link as he followed Chiron into the darkness of the cave. Vialla simply sighed and followed after them. The three compatriots delved deep into the cave moving rather slowly, for they had no light to guide them or reveal any unexpected hazards, and their horses were quite reluctant to venture into the foul smelling cavern. And though they could have lit a torch they did not, in fear of being spotted and captured. Thus they clung close to the walls of the cave and used them to get around.

They did not get very far before the first pursuer rode into the canyon. He was followed closely by two others, who were joined shortly after by nearly two dozen more. Each of the men was clad in blue and grey and leading these men was none other than Major Lucrus.

"It appears we've been thrown of the trail of our prey," Lucrus belted, addressing his troops, "Due to the stony canyon floor we can find no tracks. We do not know whether they have ridden deeper into the canyon or taken refuge in one of the caves. We must find these fugitives even if means searching every last cave in this canyon. Split up into groups of five, my patrol shall block off the canyon entrance and guard the horses whilst another rides to the other end of the canyon. The remaining three patrols will begin searching the caverns immediately, now get to it!"

The Tyfirians quickly dismounted, except for the group that rode to the other end of the canyon. They divided up and began searching. "Sir, are you certain that these are the escapees we're looking for?" inquired a soldier of his commanding officer. "These two men have not been seen in a month, surely they would have already passed through here. Besides, we are looking for two men, but there were clearly three riders who came in here."

"Simple minded fool," Lucrus snapped, "There are many things that could have delayed them this long and they easily could have acquired another companion. Regardless they were clearly trying to out-maneuver us. I am sure who ever these people are, they are running from someone, and it will be up to us to find out what. Whatever it is I'd like to know. Now cease questioning my orders, lest I feed you to the Sarudons." The soldier did not speak again.

Several hours later the group that rode to the end of the canyon returned as the sun began to fall low in the sky. "We did not find any trace of our little friends," said one of the horsemen. "They are indeed still in the canyon, unless they somehow managed to make it to the Shadow Woods in which case they are doomed anyway."

"Very good," said Major Lucrus, "These fools will be in our custody by tomorrow morning."

Meanwhile in the depths of the caves, Link, Chiron, and Vialla had settled down. They had determined it would be of no avail to them to travel any farther into the cave. If their hunters were willing to venture as far into the cavern as the three fugitives had already traveled, undoubtedly they would search the whole of the cave.

"Who were those men and why do you think they're after you?" asked Vialla.

"Shhhhh," whispered Link, "It is still to risky to be talking. I will explain it all to you once we are out of here."

"No," said Vialla, "You will tell me what's going on now, or else I'll turn both of you in."

"Fine, fine," Link said quietly, "Just keep it down." Vialla agreed and Link commenced to explain that he and Chiron were running from the Tyfirians and that they knew at least a portion of their secret plans to conquer Cyntir. Link went on to explain that General Ormek was responsible for all of this, he also explained he was the only one who knew how to stop the general. He did not go into further detail at the time, for he did not feel safe explaining his situation in depth. Fortunately Vialla had heard enough, she felt contempt for the moment, she was at least satisfied with the explanation enough for her to know that she must keep Link and Chiron hidden.

Vialla ceased to question Link and did not speak any more, and so the three refugees did not speak to each other in fear that their voices would give away their position. The group sat in the dark remaining silent and motionless for hours upon end, too afraid to sleep, they all anxiously waited and hoped they would not be discovered. The anticipation of their imminent detection by the Tyfirians was so great, that Vialla and Chiron almost felt relived when they heard the first sounds of approaching footsteps. Their relief was quickly replaced by terror as Link rose to his feet and drew his sword and shield. Chiron and Vialla rose and drew their weapons as well. Vialla wielded her two gerudo scimitars, which was a common choice of weaponry among gerudo of great skill.

A dim orange light began fill the cave and as the light grew brighter, the footsteps became louder and the three companions grew tenser. As the Tyfirians were about turn the last corner in the cave and locate their prey they suddenly halted their march. The sound of footsteps ceased and silence once again prevailed in the cavern.

The silence was short lived though; it was suddenly broken by a "twang". Link instinctively held up his shield, just in time to block a blue feathered Tyfirian arrow. Two Tyfirian archers then turned the corner and began firing arrows at the three fugitives, but due to the inadequate light they were unable to find their marks. Vialla decided to turn and run at this point, Chiron followed shortly after, Link followed as well even though he did not think traveling further into the cave would work to his advantage. Especially considering he had to leave the horses behind along with most of the group's supplies in order to catch up with Vialla and Chiron.

"They are here, send for reinforcements!" cried one of the archers before he chased after Link and his companions. Two of the Tyfirians dashed out of the cave to alert the rest of the troops to their find. The remaining three Tyfirians pursued their targets further into the cave, firing arrows whenever they thought they had a clear shot. Luckily for Link and his group they were in a particularly windy cave. This prevented the Tyfirians from getting off any clear shots. However, the curving of the cave walls did not last. The path came to a long stretch of flat ground one hundred and fifty yards long. In the middle of this path there was what seemed to be a large boulder standing in one of the narrowest parts of the cave, it blocked the way and prevented anyone from continuing further into the cave.

"We have no choice but to turn and fight," Link said authoritatively, not showing any sign of fear. He was tired of running and was very eager to do battle. The three runners all turned to face away from the boulder and readied themselves for coming onslaught. Link sheathed his sword and drew his trusty bow and strung it with an arrow, he waited for the light of the Tyfirians' torch to take aim. As soon as the first Tyfirian popped around the corner, Link let his arrow fly. The soldier was struck just above his heart. He fell back and released his hold on an arrow that he was ready to fire. The arrow flew high and fell behind Chiron and struck the boulder.

The boulder then began to stir. It seemed to be breaking apart at first. The next two Tyfirians had arrived by this point, but they did not stay long, as soon as they saw the boulder, they spun around and ran. It was clear to Link by this time that it was not a boulder that was moving, but rather a large lizard that had been curled up and napping.

The lizard's skin was leathery and black. It was twelve feet long from its head to the tip of its tail. It was four feet high when standing on all fours. On its back were five large spines, which could fold back to form a protective shield. The spines could also stand up, adding another foot to the lizard's height. Many hard scales grew out of its skull, which caused the lizard look as if it was wearing a helmet.

Chiron and Vialla followed after the Tyfirians, fearing the large beast more than the might of their hunters. Link was more hesitant to leave, he ran to the passage that would allow him to flee and stopped, he studied the creature for a second, but then ran like the others when it began to charge.

"What was that?" asked Link when he caught up to the others.

"I'm not absolutely sure," said Vialla, "but I think it is safe to assume it's one of the legendary sarudons."

The sarudon was very fast considering its short legs. It was able to keep right behind Link, snapping at him whenever it got close. Link, Chiron, and Vialla made it out of the cave and felt the cool night air on their faces, but they were shocked to find nine Tyfirians surrounding the cave entrance waiting for their prey to emerge. A rain of arrows was fired immediately after the three could be seen. Three of the arrows flew past them and bounced of the sarudon's thick hide, but one of the arrows struck Vialla in the shoulder. She howled in pain, and fell back, Chiron caught her and the two of them fell to the ground. The sarudon was angered greatly by the Tyfirians' projectiles, though the sarudon was not harmed. It extended the spines on its back and opened its mouth wide. The spines began to glow with an eerie red light as the sarudon lifted its head up as if it were looking to the sky. It then brought its head back down and roared loudly, it then spat out a powerful gust of wind. Link dropped to the ground just in time to dodge the sarudon's blow. All of the Tyfirians were knocked to the ground by the attack and those mounted on horses were thrown off.

Chiron picked up Vialla and carrying her on his back, he began to head for the canyon entrance, but the sarudon was to quick, it cut Chiron off before he could escape. The sarudon opened its mouth and prepared for another blast, but Link shot an arrow down its throat before it could muster another gust.

Chiron turned and ran away from the sarudon and headed deeper into the canyon with Link following after. By this time the Tyfirians had recovered, at first they were all enveloped in panic, but Lucrus was able to rally them. He ordered them to go deeper in to the canyon and his men did so in haste. No Tyfirian horse was left. They had all been either killed by the sarudon or had fled from the canyon.

The Tyfirians slowly began to close in on Link and Chiron, but they were too worried about the sarudon to be concerned much with them. The Sarudon speedily grew tired of the chase and let lose another blast. The blast knocked Lucrus into the canyon wall and left him temporarily incapacitated. The sarudon ignored him and continued to chase the rest of the Tyfirians.

Chiron felt an extra burst of energy as he heard the sound of the sarudon's second blast, he knew the next gust would not miss its mark. Chiron slowly began to pull away from the Tyfirians, even with Vialla's additional weight. Link was right on Chiron's heels, for he could have already left the Tyfirians in the dust, but he did not want to leave his companions behind. The sarudon was beginning to lag behind at this point. It had already used up most of its energy. The sarudon stopped again to charge for another blast, thinking that if it did not catch the invaders now it would lose them and allow them to return later. The sarudon prepared for one extra powerful blast. It took a few seconds longer, but the blow was ten times as strong as the first two. The burst was aimed high; it slammed right into the canyon wall, causing it shatter and splinter in many places. The wall then collapsed on itself, causing a massive avalanche. The rocks fell upon and crushed every single Tyfirian. Luckily for Chiron and Link they had both been far enough ahead to avoid getting smashed.

Upon seeing its enemies destroyed the Sarudon went back to look for Lucrus, but he was nowhere to be found. The major had gathered enough strength to crawl into one of the caves. The sarudon soon gave up its search and returned to its cave, dragging back a few horse carcasses with it to use for food.

"Well," Link sighed upon realizing how disastrous the avalanche had been. It completely blocked off the canyon. The rocks were piled high and were too unstable to risk climbing over them. "It looks like we are not going back the way we came in. How is Vialla?"

"She's still alive," Chiron said, laying Vialla on the ground, "but the wound is deep. She has lost a lot of blood already. I don't think she'll make it if we don't do something to stop the bleeding."

Link knelt beside Vialla and he examined her wound while he removed a knife from his belt. Link, carefully dug through the muscle with the blade and removed the arrowhead. Link then pulled out a bottle from behind his shield and pulled the cork, He poured a red liquid from the bottle onto Vialla's wound and then some into her mouth. Link then tore up Vialla's cloak into strips and used them to bandage the lesion. The cloth quickly sopped up the blood and slowed the bleeding. A few minutes later, Vialla slowly came to and sat up.

"How are you feeling?" asked Link.

"Like I just got stung by a bee as large as a goron," she said rubbing her shoulder, "but I'll be all right."

"Good," said Link, "now we can focus on getting out of here. Tell me Chiron, is there another way out or is this a box canyon."

"It might as well be," Chiron groaned, "The only other way out of here is through the Shadow Woods. An ancient forest full of gruesome beasts that no man has ever seen and escaped from unharmed. It is said that no light can enter those woods and that any that dare to venture in must pay a great tribute to the keeper of the woods if they wish to pass through, those who do not pay are eaten by the forest keeper. I will not go that way, Link. "

"Don't be such a child!" Vialla snapped, "You speak only of legends that old men use to frighten children. There is no keeper of the woods. One thing that may cause us problems is that the woods are quite large and it takes weeks to get through them. I fear we are too unprepared to make it through. We lost our horses in that cave and they had most of our supplies."

"Have you forgotten the food and water we packed, when we were in the caves?" Link asked. Luckily, Link thought they might need to have their supplies on them in case the horses were lost. The three companions packed away a little food and water before they were discovered by the Tyfirians.

"I do not think what we packed enough to get us through the woods," Vialla said. "Perhaps Chiron is right. The Shadow Woods are not safe to venture into."

"We have no other choice," Link said sternly. "We can not stay here, not all the Tyfirians were slain. It will be awhile before they find away to chase us, but I have no doubt they will not give up so easily. Besides, I will not be content to just sit here and wait for our supplies to run out. You two may stay and die if you wish, but I am going through the woods. I will not allow Ormek to accomplish his designs "

"You're right Link," Chiron said softly, "We can't give up now, too many lives are at stake. I will go with you."

"I shall also accompany you," Vialla said humbly. "That is, if you tell me the rest off what you know about General Ormek's plan."

"All right," Link said, "Now let's get going. We need to put some distance between us an the Tyfirians." The three companions walked for three more hours while Link explained what he knew of Ormek's plan and the Triforce of Knowledge in detail the before they finally settled down. Vialla was not sure whether or not she believed Link about the Triforce, but she was quite confident that he was telling the truth about Ormek's plan to conquer Cyntir. Eventually the companions found a cave that only went twenty feet into the canyon wall and decided it would be sufficient shelter for the night.

"We should be safe if we stop here," Link said, "Hopefully it will be a little while longer before the Tyfirians find a way get past those boulders." Link said this in an attempt to put Chiron and Vialla at ease, but they were already half-asleep when they stopped for the night and had little trouble in taking some rest. Link on the other hand was wide-awake, so he decided to take the first night watch.

Unfortunately for Link and his group, the Tyfirians already knew how to get around the boulders. "Our only option is to exit the canyon then swing around and travel along the top of it till we pass the obstruction," Lucrus dictated to his remaining fifteen men, "We will then repel down into canyon and continue our pursuit. The road may be rough, but I have confirmed these are indeed the people were looking for. Our targets have only one way to go, thus we need only be faster than they are and we will catch them. And with their injured friend that should prove to be no difficult task."

"Sir, should we send for reinforcements to go around the Shadow Woods and block off the exit?" asked one of the soldiers.

"No," Lucrus replied, "that path would take us too close to Cantarus and Cyntir Castle. General Ormek has given strict orders to send no troops there. Moreover, that area will be crawling with Cyntirian soldiers. Not that any of it matters. We should easily be able to overtake these cowards. Now all of you get some rest, We have a long march a head of us."